When the New York Jets signed wide receiver Mecole Hardman during the offseason, the general expectation was that Hardman would play a rather significant role in the team’s offense. He was coming off of being a very talented role player alongside Travis Kelce on the Kansas City Chiefs.
Of course, things may have changed for the Jets in Week 1 when Aaron Rodgers went down for the season with a torn Achilles, but it seems hard to imagine that they couldn’t find something for Hardman to do even with Zach Wilson under center.
Through New York’s first six games, Hardman logged just one catch on three targets, and the Jets eventually traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs, where the wide out spent the first four years of his NFL career.
Hardman immediately saw action with the Chiefs in their Week 7 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He was targeted three times (as many as he was with New York all season long) and made one catch, but his most pivotal moment came when he returned a punt for 50 yards (the Jets did not use him as a returner at all).
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was thrilled to have Hardman back in the fold and also did not quite understand what the Jets were doing.
“You can feel the energy from that guy being in the room,” Kelce told Tracy Wolfson during an on-field interview after the game (via Paul Andrew Esden Jr. of The Score 1260). “I don’t know how he got out of New York, but I’m so glad that he’s with us and obviously he came up absolutely huge for us there in the fourth quarter. Not only just the punt return but a huge first down catch. I’m just proud of him, happy for the guy that he’s back with us and I’m glad we got him for the rest of the year.”
New York’s usage (or lack thereof) of Hardman was certainly puzzling, especially considering that it wasn’t like the Jets had a ton of depth at wide receiver.
Again, it’s entirely possible New York envisioned a different role for him with a healthy Rodgers, and that may have been altered the second Rodgers went down.
Regardless, Hardman has found a new (and old) home, and he now has a chance to compete for another Super Bowl with his old running mates.
The Chiefs are 6-1 and will go for the season sweep of the Denver Broncos next Sunday.
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